Burned Out Stars
by Lexiimatsu
Summary: Now for what bitter purpose would someone walk an hour away from home in the dead of night? Karamatsu has endured enough. Let's all just silently slip away for one last midnight stroll.
1. Chapter 1: Burned Out Stars

_Burned Out Stars_

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Memories rapidly flashed behind Karamatsu's eyes as he stared into blackness. A bottomless pit to be exact. At least, that's what he'd like to imagine as he gazed at nothing in particular. The second brother yearned for an eternal night to engulf him; one that knew of no moon, and where all the stars had long burned out. Hopefully it would swallow his sorrows and drown out his pathetic self-pity. That's all this was right? Just some petty drama Karamatsu was creating in his head. Something for him to complain about and allow him to wallow in his own self-inflicted problems. He brought this onto himself anyway. It's always his fault anyway. No one has his back anyway.

He couldn't bring himself to fully believe that though. There's a nauseating difference between simply feeling sorry for yourself and when you're constantly breathing pure misery. Everybody hated him. Everyone. How can he possibly keep wearing that atrocious fake smile? How could his _brothers_ expect him to continue the act; adorning such a phony grin while they ruthlessly beat on his heart? But of course, they don't notice. Hell, they probably didn't even notice the pain the blue brother endured day after day. Month after month. Year after every fucking _year_. Of course not. Even if his beloved brothers _did_ notice, they wouldn't _care._ No one cares about Karamatsu. The painful brother. The one who's always forgotten or purposefully left behind. " _Why were you even born Karamatsu?!"_ The harsh words of his siblings simultaneously rang in his ears, leaving an aching soreness in his jaw, or maybe that was because he was clenching his teeth too hard. Karamatsu lifted his hand and rubbed his jaw line when he felt a sudden jolt of cold sting his skin. Pulling his hands away he realized just how numb his fingers were, slowly taking notice of how a slight tremble had crept its way into his system.

 _"_ _Ah..."_ he pondered. _"Maybe I should have brought my jacket..."_

Not that it would matter anyway. At least not for where he was going.

Karamatsu nonchalantly tucked his hands underneath his armpits as he began to rock back and forth on his heels. A distant rumble of thunder rolled across the air, coating the deafening silence as it settled toward the Earth. The bitter wind blew through his skin and wrapped itself around his bare arms as if it were tugging him forward, closer toward the edge. Karamatsu glanced downwards, nervously observing the way the flickering street lamp illuminated the cliff side about two hundred meters down. It was at least 3AM and not a soul was in sight. Karamatsu had left the house around an hour ago, careful not to wake his brothers, and crept his way to the outskirts of town until he stumbled upon his final destination. The second eldest let out a timid laugh as his brain fully absorbed the current task at hand. What an ominous place he decided to carry this out at. He was standing at the edge of an old dip in the road that allowed cars to park in case of an emergency breakdown. It reminded him of a make-out peak. His eyes shifted to the side and landed on some empty beer bottles and a used condom. " _Gross"_ , he scoffed as his vision refocused on the distant streetlamp.

" _What a symbolic area I've chosen."_ Karamatsu sarcastically considered this a second longer before he remembered that he too was garbage. Trash. Utter human waste. His eyebrow twitched slightly at the self-depreciating joke, but then again he was used to it. Over the years Karamatsu has come to odd terms of hating himself with an unhealthy passion. It inevitably came naturally to him with the courtesy of his brothers. There had to be some reason why they hated him so much right? So Karamatsu picked out every one of his flaws, analyzed every habit, and ultimately realized that they despised the majority of what made Karamatsu himself. Karamatsu detested this unfair concept. He eventually hated his character, his looks, his attachment to his brothers, and yet, and yet... he loved it all too. Enjoyed being himself so much that he became split between what to do. It was only a matter of time before he developed a minor case of split personality disorder. The blue raven haired brother now suffers from identity issues, completely torn between trying to play the part for his brothers or just being himself... or was it the other way around? Just being himself for his brothers or trying to play the part? Karamatsu didn't even know anymore. It's been so long since he's had any positive feedback that he can't remember what he used to do that made his brothers smile at him. Somewhere along the road it all went wrong, and one by one they all turned on him. Even sweet Jyushimatsu and Todomatsu; the youngest of the bunch and the ones that had looked up to him the most. A memory of when Totty had asked _him_ for fashion advice crossed his mind. They had gone shopping together and Karamatsu recommended a pink shirt, insisting that Todomatsu would look good in the color. Totty refused, complaining that it was girly, but Karamatsu countered with _'only real men can wear pink proudly',_ and so the pink themed Todomatsu was born. The precious memory cut through Karamatsu's heart like a dulled razor; slow and humorously inefficient. The past hurts. The present hurts. Karamatsu _hurts_.

Shakily exhaling, Karamatsu took a determined step forward. His next step however, wasn't as confident and betrayed his resolution, faltering considerably as it joined the left foot. "This is it", the raven haired Matsuno whispered aloud to himself. His heart rate had steadily increased and a pounding sensation began to infiltrate his temples. The ground started moving, or maybe he was moving? He couldn't tell and he couldn't breathe. It felt as if his organs were in his throat, choking him as their blood burned his skin. A repetitive clicking sound could be heard in the back of his mind, adding to his pulsating headache. Karamatsu lulled his head around, craning his neck in an attempt to locate the source. His dizziness increased at the movement and his body swayed slightly in response. The second eldest tried to bite the inside of his cheek as he tried to steady himself when he realized he couldn't clench his jaw. The source of the clicking noise emitted from his chattering teeth as he felt another wave of anxiety and nausea wash over him.

"I can to do this."

 _I can't do this._

"I have to proceed."

 _I have a choice._

"You made a commitment."

 _A promise is a promise. No matter how shitty._

Mentally arguing with himself never worked out. He always went around in circles until he couldn't remember the original statement. It's part of the reason why he ended up on the edge of a cliff tonight. You can't fight your own demons without the proper weapon, and right now Karamatsu's sword was broken and his armor had been terribly cracked. Admittedly, he hasn't been in a proper mindset for years, but he also knows that what he's doing tonight isn't impulsive. In fact, he's been planning out this moment for months. Imagining every detail, what day, what time, where, how, and all the bittersweet consequences. Everyone may view what he's planning as selfish, but honestly, all he's been thinking about since he fell into this dark oblivion is what he'll leave behind for his friends and family, that is, if he even has that anymore. He imagined each of his brother's faces; the way they smiled, sneered, laughed, yelled, said his name, although lately it was spoken as a curse. Karamatsu winced at the twinge of pain he felt from that ugly truth. It rudely reminded him of why again he was standing here.

Looking up to see the natural beauty of the stars always put him at ease, but as Karamatsu gazed upwards, he saw nothing. The black thunder clouds covered the sky and appeared as if they blended into space, casting off a strange illusion. It's almost as if the stars never existed. The charcoal clouds seamlessly concealed any trickles of light, as if they were innocently closing the thick curtains right before bed. Karamatsu smiled at this gesture. It reminded him of when he would be the last to fall asleep when he and his brothers were younger. He always wanted to make sure they were comfortable and safe for the night. A numbingly warm sensation washed over his body and for the first time in years, Karamatsu felt content with where he was. He felt completely in control and overall... free. The alluring prospect of eternal darkness was closer than he had anticipated. Fearlessly inhaling the scent of a starless night, the second eldest of the Matsuno brothers stepped forward.

"What a beautiful day to be alive."

And with those final words, Karamatsu's feet let go of the ground as he joined the burned out stars.

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 **Author's Note:**

First fanfiction posted on the internet! Wooooo! Let me know what you guys think(: Reviews are always welcomed.

Also, do you think I should continue this? I have a blurry plan for future chapters but this could work as a oneshot as well.

Karamatsu is such a babe.


	2. Chapter 2: Strawberry Picking

_Strawberry Picking_

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Waltzing through the forest like there's no tomorrow.

Don't look at me I'm a sinner.

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Chibita let out a tiresome huff as he trekked across the grassy plain. A customer had told him that there were ripening strawberry fields within the outer areas of town, and that they were the best strawberries they've ever eaten. At the time Chibita had humorously dismissed their ravings and said that it was only early March. The outdoor season doesn't start for another two months. How could the summer fruit possibly be growing at such a time? Oddly enough, the customer winked and casually pulled a scarlet strawberry from their leather pouch.

" _Try it",_ they had said. " _Just one bite",_ they had said. " _If you don't believe me then go see for yourself."_ They. Had. Said.

Well, _annoyingly_ enough Chibita had eaten that one pesky strawberry, and now he is completely hooked on trying to locate its original source. Without a doubt, that was the best strawberry Chibita had eaten in all his mediocre life. It was, to put it simply: perfect, and Chibita personally required more perfect things in his world. The sensational fruit reminded him of when he first consumed a delectable oden; one that had been slowly simmering after a long winter day. The sublime experience has been permanently branded into his memory vault; right alongside his flower maiden and the first time he met the sextuplets. While he wasn't entirely sure if this so called strawberry field truly exists, he was definitely determined to find out. The oden enthusiast has been wandering for hours on a stray dirt path as he struggles to remember the vague directions recited to him the previous day. He probably should have called it quits about a mile ago, but he was too stubborn to give up now. What good would surrendering do when he still had plenty of daylight to spare? Besides, it was only around early morning and he was feeling exceptionally capable of walking a few more strides. A little exercise never hurt anyone, right? As this mellow thought glided across Chibita's mind, a slight twitch erupted in his right calf muscle.

Chibita abruptly stopped, wincing slightly at the spasming ligament. " _Heh, well I guess I spoke too soon."_ Crouching down, Chibita decided it was best to take a short break before he actually hurt himself. The petite male gradually stretched out his right leg, taking extra precaution as he carefully lowered his weight against the tendon. " _Wouldn't want to pull a hammy."_ Chibita jokingly thought as he glanced upwards, intrigued by the clear blue sky. It was quite the contrast in the far east. Thick thunderheads stationed themselves above his hometown, successfully creating an immobile aerial barrier. The foreboding clouds casted off strange shadows; polluting the land in a saturated grey tint. It looked almost as if the clouds were black ink blotches, and someone had taken a damaged quill to deliberately paint angry streaks across the sky, but halfway through their chaos they mistakenly knocked over the slick bottle, spilling the remnants onto the Earth. " _Good thing I'm where the grass is greener."_ He satisfyingly contemplated. Chibita swore he could see the rain pour from the heavens as a flash of lightning whipped across the void. It wouldn't have been a very good oden day.

Chibita's vision lowered itself to the ground as he removed his knapsack from his tired shoulders. His hands busily rummaged through his belongings until he brushed against a water bottle. Efficiently unscrewing the cap, Chibita took a long swig of the cool drink. He pleasantly hummed as he felt the soothing liquid slide down his throat and pool within his lower abdomen. The usually working individual felt content with the relaxing breeze; he absorbed the way the gentle caress of sunlight felt against his skin, and how it was warmly coaxing him into a peaceful state of mind. Even if he doesn't find his sought out treasure, today has surely lived up to noteworthy standards.

A sudden gust of wind broke out of its cage and bounded across the grass blades, creating a matted ripple amongst the ground. A young leaf was unexpectedly ripped away from the mother tree branch, getting caught in the swift jet stream. It wasn't its time, still small and fragile, like a newborn kitten being washed away in a flood; its howls of protest being drowned out by nature's windy screams. The angelic leaf floated aimlessly above Chibita, twirling ever so slightly before abruptly jerking to the side, within his line of vision. Chibita observed the tiny green snowflake as it danced midair, captivated by the inevitable freefall until it was yet again swept upwards, like a punch delivered straight into the chest. The leaf spiraled around Chibita in a tribal fashion, almost as if the insignificant being was chanting an old lyric. Chibita began to unknowingly follow the leaf when the wind shifted direction, completely drawn to the fading outlines of where it used to be. The concealed tamer snuck up from behind him, faceless and unforgiving; unflinchingly removing their weapon from its holster and silencing the wind. The whispering exhales brushed past his ears as the wind died down, and so the leaf fell, no longer having a puppeteer to guide its scripted movements.

Chibita snapped out of his enchantment with minor confusion. He assessed his whereabouts with a burning realization that he didn't know where he was. " _How…?"_ Chibita spun around in hopes of retracing his steps, but surprisingly was met with a rock wall. " _What?"_ This didn't make any sense. The nearest mountain was at least three-hundred yards away, and yet here he was, face to face with a cliff side. The oden lover let out a frustrated sigh. " _This is absurd. All this for potentially nonexistent strawberries."_ He once again began to continue his short-lived journey when his foot mercilessly stepped onto something small. Chibita quickly removed his foot, panicking when he saw a red shade beneath his shoes. As he peeled his shoe away from the goop, he realized that the squashed form resembled a strawberry. Relief washed over him when he could conclude that he hadn't kill a small animal, but more importantly, he had just found a strawberry. Yippee-fucking-doo _it's about time_.

Damn strawberries.

No more games of hide-and-seek. Chibita broke through the light scatter of trees and bushes until his eyes landed upon a wonderful sight: a strawberry patch. He felt like a kid in a candy store, all hyped up on life and giddy as hell.

Chibita excitingly approached the teeming holiday colors, carelessly stepping on the stray fruit as he knelt down. This garden of strawberries wasn't all neat and tidy like how he usually sees them. This particular one was growing wild and thriving at will; no cookie-cutter paths to walk alongside or decoratively trimmed rows for sheer convenience. Chibita plucked a flushed offspring from its stem, thoroughly brushing off the dark soil as he sank his teeth into the fruit. A red trickle squirted from his lips and ran down his chin, hesitantly suspended against the tan skin before recycling back into the dirt.

" _These are the ones. The customer wasn't lying."_ Chibita happily made his way over to his next sweet victim. The bush adjacent to his previous encounter shimmered slightly in the sunlight. Dewy green leaves reflected the day's mood, catching each individual ray before tossing them aside, directly into Chibita's eyes. The smaller male squinted through the white flashes as he gathered a fairly wounded strawberry in his hands. The delicate fruit was terribly bruised on its left side. Blackened blotches accentuated the wrinkled skin and surrounded a rather resentful concaved mush that was turning a deep shade of misery. A blood vessel must have popped. The intricate rotting-yellow seeds reminded him of a strange disease; one that developed through infection and clogged each individual pore from oxygen. Or maybe the discoloration reminded him of mold; the type that grew in damp humid areas which sprouted fertile mushrooms from nature's decomposing life. The tight indentions on the strawberry made Chibita uncomfortable. His thumbnail scraped against the softened texture, grossly carving the dark juices behind his fingernail. Chibita instinctively dropped the soiled fruit onto the ground. He suddenly felt repulsed at the idea of touching the fruit, let alone eating it. What a shame.

Chibita wiped the remnants onto the nearby grass, coating the rough blades in no particular pattern. He decided it was time to call it a day. Maybe Chibita would return to the field next week if he felt up to the journey, and if he fancied the idea of the actual strawberries themselves. The male let out a disappointed sigh as he made his way back to the cliffside. He couldn't help but think that this had all been a waste of his time. Sure, the strawberries were great, but in a sickly sweet kind of way that made his stomach turn in the end.

The tired wanderer walked alongside the steep cliff wall until he could once again see the dirt path he had previously traveled on. Stretching his arm up towards the sky, Chibita noticed how the dark pine needles formed tangled webs against the blue canvas. Random cut-outs of the light pigment twinkled through the shadowed tree leaves and dabbled translucently across his surroundings. The fixated light patterns swayed ever so slightly with the rustle of a breeze skipping from branch to branch. Towards the middle section of the trees however, the breeze tripped and nearly fell through the unusually large opening between the branches. Chibita gazed with wonder at the broken tree limbs, taking notice of how the branches had been abruptly snapped due to a sudden imposing force; the dusted wood awkwardly splitting at the edges like cut rope.

" _What…?-"_

Chibita suddenly felt his weight falling forward as his foot tripped over a stray tree root. Taken completely off guard, he ungracefully crashed into a scatter of pine needles and old pine cones as he hit the ground with unnecessary force. Chibita hissed in pain as he removed a particularly sharp pine cone from the outstretched palm that had bravely broken his fall. At least it wasn't his face. Chibita glared downwards as he twisted his body around, only to feel himself completely freeze at the sight of a body.

"Oh fuck-"

Chibita's body was moving in an instant and hovering over the still form. The purple mass was directly under where all the tree branches had been snapped and forgotten. Chibita could put two and two together.

"What to do what to do…" Chibita was speaking aloud to himself under breathless pants of panic. It helped him think, and not feel entirely helpless.

He decided that checking the person's pulse was a decent start. As he reached toward the neck of the victim facing downwards he started to notice something cold-bloodedly odd. And _recognizable._ The dark hair was too similarly ruffled and cut in such a typical fashion. The slender slope of the face connecting to his ears from the sharp jawline tied together too distinctly. _Too perfectly._ Chibita's eyes briefly outlined the shape of the body before nervously flickering back up toward the purple shirt.

" _Oh God Ichimatsu…"_

Chibita's mind was reeling. It was only a matter of time really… until the most depressing brother out of the sextuplets acted out… only a matter of time…

But maybe this was all an accident? Perhaps he had fallen, just coincidentally in the middle of nowhere, from the edge of a strange isolated cliff… yeah right. This was no "mistake", but surely it had to be some kind of sick misunderstanding, right?

Chibita brushed his fingertips against the unnaturally cold neck as he hoped, prayed, _anything_ for a pulse. For a sign of life. Something to prove that this isn't completely over and there's still a chance… a chance for a second chance.

He held his breath as he waited; his fingers pressed firmly against the skin where traces of a heartbeat should resonate. The foreboding silence suspended between his stagnant mind and the rest of the revolving world. Even the faint movement of an empty cloud overhead leisurely stalled as it watched the scene below.

…

…

…

… _/\/\/…..._ _ **thump**_ … _.\/\/\…..._

His eyes widened in both shock and relief. The pulse was slow and barely noticeable, but nevertheless _there._ It's a start. There's still time to change this horrible outcome.

Chibita whipped out his recently acquired cellphone, with the courtesy of Todomatsu's help, and crossed his fingers for a signal. Holding the device toward the heavens as an offering of any sort, he dialed 911. The operator picked up in an instant, meaning that he actually had service in this desolate wasteland of hell. The jumbled conversation lasted only under a minute as the lady consoled him. She hastily reassured Chibita that they were connecting a transmitter to his phone and would be at his far-off location within a maximum of fifteen minutes. A new sense of hope washed over Chibita, spreading through his body like gossamer whispers. He was instructed to just remain calm, keep his phone connected to the line, and to also see if he could try tending to any visible wounds without shifting the damaged body too much.

Chibita crouched beside the motionless figure, mentally noting how the surrounding pine needles were tinted red. He gingerly placed his hands against the lower side of the body's torso when his suspicions were distressingly confirmed. Chibita's heart sank as he removed his hands and stared warily at his open palms. They were carelessly painted in a deep crimson red. Too much red. The fluid was surprisingly fresh, still lethargically seeping out of the devious gash that struggled to clot around the edges. The shirt was covered in crusty dried splotches from various other hibernating cuts; exhausted cuts who had long since sealed themselves closed, patiently waiting for the rest to drain entirely. How had he not already bled out by now? Chibita's hands looked as if he were getting ready to harmlessly finger paint, like during the times when he was in grade school. How nostalgic. Except this time was dismayingly unpleasant with the unwanted addition of his childhood friend's blood. Wait a minute…

He stared back at the off-colored shirt, slowly taking notice of how some areas were stained violet, almost like a dark red, while other sections were… blue? Oh no.

Realization hit Chibita like a freight train; one that completely knocked the air from his lungs, and didn't even have the decency to _attempt_ to use the breaks. At least then the sharp screeches would have given him a fair warning, but no, instead he was hit with the full intensity of the impact; the oxygen refusing to resurface as he choked on his own tongue. With his hand wavering significantly, he hesitantly brushed away blood-stiffened stray hairs as he leaned over the immobile body, reluctantly studying the tilted side of the brother's concealed face. The delicate pale skin stretched over his cheekbone had been stained accordingly and precisely maimed; the uncharacteristic surface appearing sliced and dreadfully bruised, like a fragile strawberry, but the gradual dip underneath the feature was awfully familiar. It further complimented the angular arch of a prominent eyebrow set peacefully above long sleeping lashes. Chibita then anxiously observed the bare arms; arms that were moderately well defined from regular workouts and attentive fitness regimes. The same arms that had been constantly flexed and flaunted in front of him just last week.

"Karamatsu…?"

This wasn't happening.

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 **Author's Note:**

Lol Chibita wasn't even going to be in this fanfic, but due to a comment I've decided to explore alternate possibilities. I really do appreciate all of your feedback and will occasionally take suggestions into consideration((:  
Check out that strawberry symbolism though. So deep. So much blood. Ahhhhhh I'm so sorry but not really though, Karamatsu's pain fuels this fandom haha.  
Let me know what you guys think~ 3


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